Johannesburg – Details of Bishop Bafana Stephen Zondo’s secret prayer sessions, which turned into rape sessions, have emerged after one of his victims gave a chilling testimony before the North Gauteng High Court on Monday.
Zondo, the founder of Rivers of Living Ministries, is alleged to have sexually abused some of his female congregants as early as September 2016.
In total, Zondo is accused of raping seven women and trying to bribe one to drop the case. He faces 10 charges, including rape, indecent assault, and defeating the ends of justice.
On Monday, one of Zondo’s alleged victims and a former member of the Rivers of Living Waters Ministries took the stand and revealed how she was sexually assaulted by the praying Zondo, who sexually violated her during a prayer session.
The victim said Zondo ordered his ushers to bring her over to his office, where the private rape session is alleged to have happened.
"When I arrived, he told me that he wanted to pray for my marriage, and he did so. During the prayer session, he said he’s praying for an increase in my sexual feelings (drive) and that they should go up," the woman told the court.
While she was praying with her hands up and eyes closed, the woman said Zondo proceeded to penetrate her mouth with his private part.
"I was shocked when I started to feel a man’s penis in my mouth. I moved back with the chair I was seated on and opened my eyes, and that is when I saw his penis. He then put it back in his pants," she said.
The victim revealed that she was part of Zondo’s church for 10 years until December 2018, when the bishop allegedly sexually violated her during a prayer session in his office.
However, the woman was grilled as to why she only had laid criminal charges against him nearly three years after the incident.
Early this year, Zondo’s defence team objected to the translation by a court interpreter of the evidence presented by the alleged third victim, who took the stand.
His legal team further contended that one of the alleged victims was part of a conspiracy to falsely accuse him.
The Star